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Casual Sophistication
Over the past few years the downtown loop has seen a surge in sophisticated lounges and dining venues all reflecting, in their own way, a fresh contemporary attitude that is being demanded by patrons and developers alike. Centaur Martini Lounge is such a place. It’s smart, stunning in simplicity and just plain cool in design.
Centaur resides in the old Iodent Building, a former toothpaste factory that operated in that location from the 1930s to the 1960s. With renewed interest in downtown development, Centaur Martini Lounge joined the ranks of a burgeoning business community. Proprietor Sean Harrington was excited to take me through some of the aforementioned history — my tour concluded with the general manager, PJ, a gracious host who rolled out a medley of items for CPC to taste.
But first, a quick note or two about the physical environment: Centaur is composed of two floors plus a mezzanine. The building is a 1920s French Deco edifice that anchors the interior design with a grandiose phallic lighting fixture that punctuates the entire space as it descends down through each level. With a black-lacquered bar for friendly service on each of the two main levels, the venue is finished off with two regulation sized billiard tables on the upper level and a significant large-screen projection TV on the lower. The floors are made of handsome slate tiles with green hues, while the walls are done in black and deep red. The restrooms are also worth a mention for their smart, clean, sophisticated appearance.
The space is absolutely accommodating to special events like business meetings and seminars as well as weddings and other such social events with AV equipment and WIFI readily available. PJ, in his special capacity as event cooradinator, particularly lights up when discussing his event calendar.
As we situated ourselves at a comfortable cocktail table on the main floor in a pleasant pool of sunlight, PJ prepared us for a feast of small plates. Serving a tapas-style menu, Centaur has a very broad list of some dozen and a half items ranging from caviar and shrimp to miniature burgers and chorizo.
First off, we sampled the Lollipop Lamb Chops. These small New Zealand chops hinted at a bit of sweetness with the mint sauce as the tenderness brought them home with a pinch of peppery pop at the finish.
The Beef Tenderloin Brochettes, with the accompanying Szechwan sauce, really took my attention — as did the Mini Crab Cakes.
The Wild Mushroom Medley, a sauté of meaty mushrooms reduced with red wine and Boursin cheese and served on toast rounds, produced a particular pleasantness on my palate, while the French Cheese Plate kept me nibbling with some loss of discretion.
And for a fun finish, try the Cheesecake Lollipops; miniature cheesecakes that are dipped in white chocolate, rolled in crushed pistachios and placed on a stick for child-like enjoyment. | RDW
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